The Whitehouse Hotel of NY

Last night while walking up the Bowery I peeked into the Whitehouse Hotel. A friend remarked that she liked the sign, which was made up of New York subway symbols. As I pushed through the door a man walked in next to me. He smiled and said, "It's not a subway entrance."

The first time I walked past the hotel, I wanted to walk in and ask about its history. The hotel was run down, looking for all the world like a flophouse. Dishevelled men sat in the lobby, faces unshaved, clothes barely hanging from their lanky frames. A man lurched out in the street, and I moved on.

Last night the lobby was filled with young European backpackers. The man who had held open the door for me was from Gambia. He works sometimes at the hotel. His passion is travel, and works long enough to build up enough money to take off; he returns when his funds are near depleated. In August he's returning to Africa for six weeks, first to visit his family and then to travel around the area.

He told me a Jewish man had bought the place and renovated it as a hotel for travellers. He brought me to a map For the summer, the rooms cost $34.50 for a single, $69.00 for a double, bathroom down the hall. The rooms are small. He unlocked a luggage closet and told me the rooms were about that same size. A single bed could fit snugly in the space with about a foot between the door and the frame.

When I left I wished him well on his travels. We shook hands and he disappeared into a back room. Later I looked at the hotel's website. A picture of Bill Clinton appears in the corner. A blue speech bubble rises from his mouth. It reads: "Hillary and I enjoyed staying at the Whitehouse and you will too!" Posted by eku at June 29, 2004 10:54 AM